Communication and Influence

At TEGacademy, this two day workshop has been created for professionals who need to move projects forward through people, often in high pressure environments where competing priorities are the norm. Participants typically come from engineering, technical, scientific and operational backgrounds across Westlakes, Sellafield and the wider region. They are experts in their fields. Yet, when they arrive, they often share the same truth. The technical work is demanding, however the greater challenge lies in communicating effectively and influencing others with confidence and clarity.

This workshop is designed to meet that challenge head on.

Stepping Away From Daily Distractions

The vast majority of sessions take place at Westlakes, and this is a deliberate choice. Effective communication requires attention, reflection and uninterrupted practice. When workshops are held inside the workplace, distractions are inevitable. Emails continue, phone calls interrupt, meetings appear, and participants remain mentally tethered to their desks.

Westlakes offers the opposite. When learners step into a neutral environment, away from familiar corridors and the noise of their day to day roles, they enter a space where experimentation is safer, thinking becomes clearer and opportunities for insight expand. For this reason, TEGacademy strongly recommends keeping these sessions out of the workplace.

What the Two Days Cover

Groups are kept small, usually between five and twelve people. This ensures the workshop remains immersive, interactive and deeply practical, and every participant has the opportunity to contribute, test new approaches and receive meaningful guidance.

Across the two days, the workshop explores three essential pillars.

The first pillar focuses on communication style. Participants examine how they naturally come across, how they respond under pressure and what signals they unintentionally send. Practical tools are introduced to help people adapt their style to different audiences, so messages land more clearly and relationships strengthen rather than strain.

The second pillar examines influence inside complex organisations. Influence rarely follows an organisational chart neatly. Power flows in unexpected directions and decisions are often shaped by informal networks, unspoken expectations or shifting priorities. Throughout the workshop, participants learn how to navigate these dynamics ethically and intelligently, increasing their ability to shape outcomes without relying on authority alone.

The third pillar centres on difficult conversations. Whether delivering challenging feedback, saying no constructively or raising concerns early, participants practise these moments in a supportive environment before taking them back into the workplace. The aim is to build confidence and competence in the very conversations that most people avoid.

All learning is grounded in real scenarios from participants’ own projects and contexts, ensuring every insight has immediate practical value.

What Participants Leave With

By the end of the two days, participants leave not only with new tools but with new awareness. They understand how they show up, how to influence without authority and how to speak in ways that build trust, clarity and momentum. The workshop is designed to create lasting behavioural change rather than momentary inspiration.

For teams working in high complexity and high responsibility environments, this shift can transform both performance and culture.

The Simulation: The Heart of the Workshop

Running throughout both days is a dynamic team simulation that forms the core of the experience.

Participants step into a fictional project team facing tight deadlines, unclear information and shifting demands. Some roles carry pressure from senior leadership, others wrestle with cost, safety or stakeholder tensions. New information is introduced, priorities evolve and unforeseen complications appear. The simulation mirrors the reality of modern project environments, allowing participants to explore communication and influence in a live, adaptive setting.

Teams must negotiate, collaborate, challenge, persuade and rework their strategies as circumstances change. While the scenario is fictional, the behaviours, decisions and interpersonal dynamics that emerge are entirely real. Facilitators guide structured reflections throughout, helping participants recognise their habits, strengths and blind spots and connecting those insights back to their everyday roles.

What Participants Leave With

By the end of the two days, participants leave not only with new tools but with new awareness. They understand how they show up, how to influence without authority and how to speak in ways that build trust, clarity and momentum. The workshop is designed to create lasting behavioural change rather than momentary inspiration.

For teams working in high complexity and high responsibility environments, this shift can transform both performance and culture.

TEGacademy

Headquarters
Innovation Centre, Westlakes Science Park, Moor Row,
Cumbria CA24 3TP

VAT Reg No: 494 298 439